Inside Out May 2021

Was it as simple as being stuck at home during this pandemic, or was it something else that triggered the current global obsession with table setting? Too long taken for granted, the dinner table has shifted into view as host of the new totems of style and indulgence: all of those superstar stacked plates, natty linens and napkins, filigree cutlery, and vessels overflowing with sculptural florals. It’s not even about the food anymore. My Instagram feed is crammed with tables dressed in everything from the most disciplined monotone, minimalist set-ups to joyous, kitschy, mismatched tabletops. I trawl cutlery sites constantly. My most recent interiors purchase was more plates (more plates!) – a set of entrée dishes adorned with lobsters, scallop shells and hand-painted parsley from The Boathouse Home (see page 153),…

BONNIE NEWS Australian textiles brand Bonnie & Neil has just launched a new collection called Olive. Riding the 1970s-revival wave, it juxtaposes rich colours and bold patterns. BONNIEANDNEIL.COM.AU POEM FOREST Red Room Poetry has a new initiative inviting young people to write poems inspired by the environment. For every poem entered, a tree will be planted at the Australian Botanic Garden to help save endangered plants and animals. REDROOMPOETRY.ORG WOVEN WONDER Handmade entirely from recycled plastic, this tote bag from Mimmi Terra is practical and planet-friendly. Available in more than 10 great colours, the Amaretti (above) is our fave; $123. MIMMITERRA.COM RITUAL REMEDY Step into the soothing space of Slow House, a new wellness studio in Sydney’s Bondi that enourages you to take a breath and engage mindfully in the practice of self-care. Treat yourself to the luxurious Signature…

An unlikely series of events led chef Matthew Touma to explore concrete as a design medium – and career. On a break from a 15-year work stint, he was in Canada snowboarding when he discovered the creative possibilities of the building material. “I was staying with a friend who had recently made a concrete benchtop for his kitchen, and every day after snowboarding we would sit at his bench, having a meal and talking into the evening. I loved to sit there,” he says. “The look and feel of it made me feel so grounded.” Back in Australia in 2009, Matt rented a small garage around the corner from his apartment and began researching concrete, teaching himself how to pour and polish it, and how to make formwork (the timber moulding…

There’s a return right now – and about time, too – to authenticity, honesty, comfort, good design and things you can trust, such as handcrafted designs using natural materials. People are more conscious. The COVID-19 pandemic has opened our eyes to the need for more sustainable shopping, and a life more in harmony and rhythm with nature. To that end... Last year, I decided to rent out my Sydney house (with everything left in it) and take up the offer to live in a boathouse on Sydney’s Pittwater, right at the water’s edge – a little dream I’ve had all my life. The boathouse was already furnished with the basics. I took my laptop, one treasured painting by New York artist Jessica Falstein, a few photographic prints, some of my favourite…

Alicia McKimm and Kylie Dorotic had a clear vision of what they wanted to achieve when they started Golden in 2013, after a decade of working in some of Melbourne’s most respected interior-design studios. “We wanted to create contemporary, timeless, functional spaces that are deeply felt, and to build a business focused on great work and client relationships,” says Alicia. “Golden is about a feeling. It describes a space that is harmonious, resolved and makes you feel good. You walk in and it just feels right. It functions well, it’s aesthetically beautiful and it’s not over-designed.” What sets Golden apart is its reductionist approach. The team review and eliminate elements within a design that don’t serve a true purpose, ensuring the final result enhances the quality of life for the user.…

ALYCE TRAN GIRLY BRUNCH Alyce is a former corporate lawyer whose love of a party table inspired the launch of affordable tableware company In The Roundhouse, with her friend Brooke Bickmore. What is your idea of a perfect table? One with a lot of colour, something special my guests haven’t seen before, and really delicious food ready to be served. Name one thing you can’t stand at your table Oh, it’s got to be bottle caps on the table. What is the greatest extravagance for your table? Always plenty of flowers! Do you have a starting point for creating a great table? Naturally, my starting point is always deciding which plates I would like to use on the table, then I work from there. How do you collect your tableware? It’s a process. I like to continually add interesting pieces in…